Closer Than I Ever Thought
by softoldshoe
Summary: A power outage in Tokyo brings the three couples a little closer together. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

While I did tell Nowaki that he didn't have to surpass me, sometimes I wish I hadn't. Especially on cold nights like these when he's working the night shift yet again as low man on the totem pole. At these times, I silently urge him to become a great doctor that can choose his own damn hours and work in the daylight like the rest of us. I miss him more than I'd ever let on; I couldn't bear it if he found me too clingy. Though, knowing Nowaki, I doubt that would ever be a problem. It took me a while, years, to finally understand, to believe, that he genuinely _liked_ me, despite, well, _me_.

I tossed in bed while the walls periodically creaked as the wind and snow beat against the apartment. Just an hour till Nowaki was off for the night. I knew I'd be awake then, when he stumbles in dead on his feet. I'll want to tell him about my day, but I won't. He puts so much of himself into his work . . . sometimes I wonder if it's too much, even if he is still young and strong. From time to time, a small voice in my head whispers that he's too good for me, too good for the world, so it'd be wise if I didn't get too attached. I tell that voice, "shut the hell up," and do more than my fair share of housework, cooking, whatever I can do to lighten his load.

I give up on sleep, find my book light, and pull out the manga hidden under the mattress on Nowaki's side of the bed. It didn't surprise me he read Shojo manga; I was surprised, and not a little amused, that he tried to hide this from me. I'd been reading along with him secretly, planning to make veiled references to the series in casual conversation to see if I could get a reaction or trick him into revealing himself. I know, I know: you'd never think that Kamijou the Devil would ever, ever tease his boyfriend about something like this. Nowaki needs a good teasing; he's too damn nice. I huddled under the covers and sleepily turned the pages. The phone rang.

I bolted up out of bed, ran into the living room and grabbed my cell off the coffee table, ignoring the cold snatching at my bare ankles. It was 2 am, that meant I was about to receive some bad news.

"Hiroki?" a familiar voice said calmly.

"Akihiko?" I was surprised. "Are you alright? It's two in the morning," I groused. It would be like him to ignore the fact.

"I heard the power was out in your district," he said.

"Huh?" I flipped a light switch and nothing happened. "Oh, so it is." I noticed it was colder than it should be, too.

"If you don't want to freeze to death in your sleep, come on over."

"Ah." I thought about it a moment. While there was a very short list of people Nowaki didn't like, Akihiko definitely topped it. However, there was no way I was taking an ice cold shower in the morning. "Thanks. I'll pick up Nowaki from the hospital on my way," I replied in a tone that dared him to make a smart comment about my boyfriend. He didn't.

"Alright, take care," he said before hanging up. I sighed and sent a text to Nowaki. _Our power is out; Akihiko is letting us crash with him for the night. Meet me at the convenience store when you get off._

I packed the clothes I needed for work tomorrow, pajamas for both of us, and an outfit for Nowaki. He had tomorrow off, so I chose a pair of jeans I never could see him in enough, and a dark blue shirt that matched his eyes. Not that I wanted to show him off . . . well, okay, I did. I really did. Besides, he's probably going to act like an idiot and embarrass me at some point, so he might as well look good. Nowaki texted back:

_Wait for me at the apartment; I'll come get you._

I fired back a response. _No, you're already halfway there._

I tossed our toothbrushes in the bag then bundled myself up to face the bitter night.


	2. Chapter 2

Nowaki was already at the convenience store when I got there. I could tell he was not happy. I was grumpy by then, with a red face flecked with snow and numb fingers. He took the duffle from me, even though it wasn't heavy. Nowaki liked taking care of people no matter how old they were, something I was slowly accepting.

"It's about fifteen minutes from here," I muttered.

"Hiro-san, you should get warmed up first," he said softly. He didn't touch me, but I could tell he wanted to. I shrugged and looked around uncomfortably. We were the only ones in the store and had the clerk's undivided attention. I spotted a hot drink machine and bought us two hot cocoas before Nowaki could fumble for his wallet. I declared myself warmed up and strode out of the store, knowing my lover would be at my heels.

Neither of us was in a talking mood. I was trying to think of how to avert any possible disasters idiots Nowaki and Akihiko could create. When their powers combine . . . no, I didn't want to think about it. Just thank Akihiko for the use of his spare bedroom and drag Nowaki into it before either could speak. Yes, that would work nicely. My cell rang.

"Hello?"

"Kamijou!" an all too familiar voice wailed. I tried to keep my temper as my boss whined into my ear. "The power is out at my apartment and I'm freezing to death! Let me come stay with you!"

"You'll have to find somewhere else to go; the power is out at my place, too."

"So cruel, Hiroki! We could snuggle." I winced. Miyagi's voice was loud; Nowaki had to have heard.

"No we couldn't. Goodnight, professor." I hung up on his wailing, with no small sense of satisfaction. "That felt good," I joked, trying to break the silence. Nowaki gave me a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes. I sighed, bent my head against the wind, and trudged toward Akihiko's.


	3. Chapter 3

Akihiko's housemate, Misaki, let us in. I figured out some time ago that this young man was also his lover, and had nothing but pity, and a little awe, for the poor idiot stuck living with such a difficult baka. Akihiko got up from the couch, escaping his editor, Aikawa, and . . . Isaka. Akihiko noticed my expression as he came toward us.

"Don't worry, Hiroki, I'm making him sleep on the couch," he said in a low voice.

"You couldn't push him off on Haruhiko?" I growled.

"He tagged along with Aikawa." He replied. "Misaki wouldn't let me throw him out," a little too gleefully pinning the blame on Misaki, who moved to elbow him, but stopped himself in front of guests.

"Thank you for letting us stay here," Nowaki said with a bow. It seemed like he had directed his words more at Misaki than Akihito. I suppressed a grin as I met Akihito's amused lavender gaze with one of my own.

"I'll show you to the room," Misaki said.

"Hey Hiroki!" Isaka said, spotting us as we followed Misaki up the stairs.

"Isaka," I said with a curt nod. I knew Nowaki was curious about my reaction: it was coming off of him in waves. My head hurt. Too many people who knew me too well. Misaki pushed open a door and we followed him inside. In the middle of the dim room was a futon, snaking around it was a toy train set.

"Sorry about the mess . . . he likes to collect things," Misaki said embarrassedly. I was relieved it wasn't the bear room . . . all those beady, staring eyes . . . .

"Not at all," Nowaki said with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

Later, we were snuggled up in the futon. Voices occasionally floated up from the living room, but I could not make out their words and I was glad. I impatiently waited for Nowaki to ask me whatever he was wondering about. Now that I was in his arms, I could feel sleep tugging at me. He was probably choosing his words carefully. In the past, I may have reacted to his curiosity by taking his head off, once or twice . . . .

"Hiro-san," he began tentatively.

"Hm?" I said calmly.

"Who are those other people down there?" Ah, so he was going to lead up to it.

"The woman is Akihiko's editor. The man is head of sales for the publisher."

"Oh. You seemed to know him." Nonchalant, but transparent. Baka Nowaki.

"He's a childhood friend to Akihiko's brother."

"Oh." Oh, he says. He isn't sure what to do now. I am trying to decide if I'm going to make him ask, or just explain it. Nowaki's grip seems tighter than before. He's worrying.

"He has a lot of nerve coming here," I said grouchily. _Nowaki, I spoil you_.

"Why is that?"

"He's a pain in the ass that is way too nosey and talks too much." _He also likes to embarrass Akihiko and me at every opportunity. _"I don't know how Akihiko handles working with him." _By having panic attacks before each event, apparently._ It hadn't happened in a while, but I used to get frantic, rude phone calls from Isaka when Akihiko shut down before event. It usually ended with me dragging myself away from my studies and halfway across Tokyo to shout some sense into the both of them. I hoped Nowaki would understand that it was sympathy I felt for my childhood friend. Akihiko is the closest thing I've ever had to a brother.

"It's hard to imagine Usami-san being bullied," Nowaki commented neutrally.

"He's a pretty tolerant guy until he's pushed too far, then, watch out!" I said with a chuckle, remembering a particularly interesting altercation between Akihiko and a guy who picked on me when we were in high school.

"It's hard to imagine you two as friends," Nowaki observed stiffly.

"We didn't have anybody else at the time." I turned in his arms and pressed my throbbing forehead against his chest with a groan.

"Alright, Hiro-san?" his hand cupped my cheek.

"Head hurts. Stress." I thought about Isaka's hazardously loud mouth. "This is like the family reunion from hell." Nowaki got up and rummaged around in the dark. I heard the rattling of a medicine bottle. He sat down and dropped two pills in my hand.

"I always keep a bottle of aspirin in my pocket," he murmured. I sat up and swallowed the pills. He put an arm around me concernedly.

"Why's that?" I asked as little alarm bells went off in my head.

"It's easier than tracking down a bottle when I'm working," he said with a shrug. I needed to know more.

"Headaches?" I pressed.

I felt his hesitation. "Yeah."

"You sure?"

"What's the matter, Hiro-san?" he asked, avoiding the question.

"I wish you'd slow down," I muttered gruffly. He seemed to digest what I was saying for a moment. "It's good to pursue your dreams, but it's no good if you kill yourself in the process," I couldn't help adding. Suddenly, he lifted me into his lap. "Hey!"

"Hiro-san!" he gasped passionately.

"Calm down, idiot," I muttered as the side of my face was plastered with kisses. While I don't often express my worry for him, it's not because I don't care. He's a grown-up and I try to treat him like one. He is also an idiot. "It's time for bed; some of us have to work in the morning."

"Okay, Hiro-san," he murmured giddily.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hiroki was the one who encouraged me to write, you know," Akihiko said at breakfast. I could tell by his face that he thought he was doing me a favor, bragging on me in front of my boyfriend, but Nowaki was jealous of every moment of mine that had not been with him. Besides, dredging up the past was embarrassing, which I'm sure he also knew. "When we were kids, he told me, without any hesitation, that I should be an author, and demanded to see the rest of what I'd written. Now that I think of it, I'm surprised you never became an editor, Hiroki." All eyes turned to me, expecting an explanation.

"I like literature, not BL novels," I sneered to retaliate. Misaki choked on his eggs. _Whoops_. "Besides," I added quickly, "editors do much more babysitting than reading. I'll pass." Akihiko smiled broadly at Aikawa, who glared at him while nodding moodily in agreement with my words. Ha, Akihiko was in the hot seat. I grinned evilly and took a swig of coffee. Nowaki gave me a funny look. I glanced at his plate; he wasn't eating much. My phone and Misaki's beeped at the same time. It was a campus alert. Classes were cancelled; the university was also without power. I was torn between joy and frustration. It was nice to have a break. It would be annoying to catch up. It was fantastic that Nowaki and I had a day off together. It was killing me that we were practically snowed in at Akihiko's. Our host looked calculatingly from his lover to his guests. Misaki seemed to recognize the look and grew red in the face. Akihiko wouldn't dare, not with all of us here.

"You have the day off, Misaki, isn't that nice," he said. His gaze was just a little too open and intimate.

"Sure is," Misaki blustered. He escaped into the kitchen to do the dishes. Nowaki sneakily held my hand under the table. I didn't react. I think he was hoping I would.

"Sensei,"Aikawa said silkily, "isn't it about time you got to work on your manuscript?"

Akihiko glared at her darkly. I made a mental note never to come between him and his lover; this was nothing fluffy and tame like his decade-long infatuation with Takahiro. Akihiko's eyes locked with mine, and they started to gleam. I knew I should be worried.

"I think so," he said smoothly, "I'm getting _all kinds_ of ideas." He stood up, dropped his napkin on the table, and strode lightly up the stairs with a mocking backward glance at me.

"How is it that you were the only one who could handle that bastard, Hiroki," Isaka said with disgust after Akihiko disappeared into his study.

"That bastard put you up for the night, mind your manners," I snarled back. Nowaki's grip on my hand tightened. Isaka ignored me.

"He's still so arrogant and superior."

"Hey, Misaki might hear you," I said sternly. I was less concerned with Misaki and more concerned that I'd fly off the handle and punch Isaka . . . again. That's another story.

"Let him, he probably agrees with me."

"I doubt it, Isaka-san," Nowaki said, to my surprise.

"Who is this anyway?" Isaka said. _Great, Nowaki, now we're the targets_.

"Kusama Nowaki, pleased to meet you," Nowaki said, bowing in his chair.

"What is he to you, Hiroki?" Isaka-san said, as if Nowaki hadn't spoken. That pissed me off.

"My lover," I said simply. I took another sip of coffee and looked at Isaka challengingly. He was very surprised, but eventually an evil grin twisted his features. I was vaguely aware that Aikawa was delighted by my announcement. Nowaki was probably in shock. I looked up at him: dark eyes wide, firm mouth agape, yup, in shock.

"And you said you didn't like BL novels," Isaka sneered.

I shrugged. "What can I say, when you've got the real thing," I may have glanced up adoringly at Nowaki, he deserved it, "the books fall flat." Isaka choked on his coffee while Aikawa gripped the edge of the table, enraptured. Nowaki grinned like an idiot. "Of course, that doesn't stop Akihiko," I ended darkly, remembering the look he'd given me before disappearing to work. I had a feeling I was about to star in yet another of his BL novels. I thought I had handled Isaka pretty well, but I could no longer ignore the hysteria rising in my chest. I scooped up my plate and walked calmly into the kitchen.

Misaki stared at me, wide-eyed, when I offered to help with the dishes. I felt a little guilty for abandoning Nowaki with those people, but I was confident he could handle himself, now that I had made things clear. Of course, Isaka was likely telling embarrassing stories about me, but Nowaki would always be on my side.


	6. Chapter 6

Fortunately, Isaka left shortly after breakfast. Misaki invited us to watch a movie with him since Aikawa was more or less guarding the door to Akihiko's study. At some point, I drifted off to sleep on Nowaki's shoulder. I woke up when the credits were rolling. I didn't regret it. My boyfriend looked down at me, practically purring at my proximity. He flipped my hair out of my face fondly, and I snuggled up against him. I don't know why, but being at Akihiko's place made me want to be as close to Nowaki as possible. I could hear his heart beating quickly under my ear. "Baka," I muttered. He had no idea how much I wanted to be near him. I just didn't want to be a burden. I too often forget that _I_ make him happy, like no one else can. To able to make him happy . . . how could I need anything else? Misaki got up, mumbling something about doing homework, leaving us alone in the living room. I shut my eyes again to revel in the feel of my Nowaki.

"Hiro-san," Nowaki whispered tenderly.

"Hm?"

"I love you."

"Love you more," I teased, resolutely keeping my eyes shut. I could do this. I smugly noted his intake of breath at my words.

"You're not normally like this," he murmured in wonderment, "especially not out in public."

"We haven't had a day off together in a long time," I muttered, burying my red face deeper into his chest, "and I've got you, so I shouldn't waste my time worrying about stupid things." Besides, with me distracting him, he couldn't hurt himself dwelling on the relationship between Akihiko and me. We sat for a while, talking and cuddling with the news station on in the background. Power was still out in our district.

"Hiro-san, I don't want to spend another night here," Nowaki uncharacteristically complained that evening. I looked up at him, surprised. He gave me a significant look, and I felt my cheeks redden. I may have felt the same way.

"Don't even go there." I was in no shape to resist him if he tried something. He probably knew it, too. Thank goodness Misaki was nearby in the kitchen cooking dinner. I sincerely wished our power would come back on, and soon.

The five of us ate dinner in relative silence. Aikawa talked the most, probably because she was the only one not prey to the vast amounts of sexual tension the rest of us were. Tomorrow was Saturday, Misaki and I didn't have school, and our lovers were very aware of the fact. I could hardly sit still. Nowaki's phone rang and I cringed; if it was the hospital, I was going to fucking lose it.

Thankfully, it was our landlord. The power was back on. We scarfed down the rest of our dinner, apologized for troubling them, said we'd get out of their hair right away, dashed upstairs for our shared bag, and vaulted out the door with happy waves goodbye.


	7. Chapter 7

I breathed a huge sigh of relief as professor Kamijou and Nowaki shut the door behind them. The looks they'd been exchanging were making me too warm, and I sure as hell did not want Usagi-san to notice. I could tell his patience with Aikawa was thinning as it was. It was making me tense. I was so glad the professor didn't recognize me, even though it had been a couple years since I'd taken his class. I hadn't known he and Usagi-san were friends. Kamijou the Demon was surprisingly calm with his tall boyfriend around. I was still trying to get my head around it when Aikawa-san announced that she was leaving. Usagi-san walked her to the door, almost pushing her out as she listed last-minute reminders. After he shut the door, he looked back at me.

Sometimes, I really hate getting jumped. It's always such a shock, even when I see it coming. Nowaki seemed so gentle with the professor, I sort of wished Usagi-san would give me a chance to catch my breath. I would try it. I would stand my ground. I wouldn't act like a kid and throw a tantrum; I would calmly explain what I wanted. How much more embarrassed could I get anyway? He stalked toward me, and for once, I didn't pretend that I couldn't see him coming, and I didn't run away.


	8. Chapter 8

I don't know how it ended up like this. I'm sleeping in my barely-of-age boyfriend's bed in his parent's house. His parents happen to be my ex in-laws. His father happens to be my boss. The power went out in our apartment building, in the dead of winter, and my subordinate at work, my only friend, blatantly refused to help me in a jam, so here I am in Shinobu's bed, the one he slept in as a child. Oh god, I'm going to hell.

I thought I'd gotten over this, the huge age difference, but it's come back in full force while I've been trapped in this room full of childhood sports trophies, stuffed animals, and video games. The way-too-young source of the problem is currently pouting on a couch downstairs. He tried to convince his parents to let him sleep on the floor in this room, but they said he would bother me, and he should give the professor privacy.

Obviously, they don't know what we're up to. They have no idea. I'm not about to give them the slightest reason to suspect either.

I jumped a guilty mile high when the door creaked open. Shinobu stuck his head in.

"Are you asleep?" he whispered.

"As if I could sleep in here," I hissed. He looked as though he didn't understand.

"What?"

"Never mind. What do you want?"

He looked hurt. Idiot, didn't he realize what a huge risk he was taking?

"I came to see how you were doing," he lied.

"I'm fine, go to bed."

"Which bed?" he said seductively.

"You're an idiot."

"Miyagi," he protested. To my horror, he stepped inside the room and shut the door. He came nearer and made that face I always lose to, that determined, desperate face that begs me to give him just the smallest touch. I sat up against the headboard. We had a better chance at playing it off as having a conversation if his parents barged in, not that they would. They have been nothing but polite, generous, and apologetic since their daughter divorced me and walked out of my life. It didn't matter how many times I told them that it was more my fault that hers. Shinobu straddled my lap sleepily and hid his face in my chest.

"What's the matter with you?" I muttered and ruffled his hair with my hand despite myself. The kid had learned that stubborn persistence was the best way to deal with old Miyagi. I just hoped he didn't notice how much he had me twisted around his little finger.

"Nothing," he replied. I knew that wasn't true. Time to annoy the hell out of him.

"Was there a monster hiding under the couch, little boy?" I teased.

"Shut up, Miyagi, can't I want to be near you?" he growled.

"What about your parents?"

He shrugged. "They're asleep. And, they'll knock."

"God, I hope so," I muttered. I shifted him so that he was sitting across my lap, instead of _on _it, firmly planting his ass on one of my thighs. I pulled his head against my chest and he gladly pulled my arm across him, so that his hand rested on my hand, which rested on his stomach. I had figured out the only ways to get the truth out of him wer to piss him off or make him feel very safe and accepted. I was growing to like the last option more and more. I nuzzled his forehead and left a kiss there.

"Just wanted to be with you," he mumbled sullenly. I sighed. It made sense; we'd been sleeping in the same bed for the past couple of weeks. It would be hard for him to go back to sleeping alone once he got a taste. It's funny: through him. I'm slowly learning what it's like to be vulnerable, dependent, and human, once again.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Erm, a bit of lemony action below; I'm not sure it's entirely ripe, but um, enjoy?

We were stuck at Shinobu's family home for the majority of the next day. It was 9 pm by the time power was back on in our district. His parents invited us to stay the night again, but we weaseled out of it.

Shinobu followed me into my apartment. I turned the thermostat way up then went straight back to the bathroom and started the bath water. Shinobu seemed confused.

"It's still cold in here," I explained. I shut the door behind us to keep all the hot air inside the bathroom. I took his face in my hands and kissed him hard. We'd been stuck in the same place for so many hours and couldn't touch each other in the past 12. It was insane how much I needed to feel him.

"Miyagi," he gasped in surprise when I finally ended the kiss.

"What? Did you think you were the only one suffering?" I couldn't blame him. I treated him with a polite affection in front of his parents, every bit the role model they assumed I was. His face startled to crumple like he might cry. He had thought that. I kissed him again, and this time, I sat on the floor against the door and pulled him into my lap. He took over the kiss, demanding and desperate, pulling at my clothes. I kissed his neck and licked down his chest, unbuttoning his shirt as I went. The little whimpers he made echoed around the bathroom and I felt drunk. I made short work of his pants and underwear, feeling a savage need to see and feel all of him. I yanked off my own shirt as Shinobu was fumbling with my fly. The little monster put his mouth on my cock as soon as it was free. I yelled with surprise and threw my head back at the jolt of pleasure. Which means I hit my head on the door, which made Shinobu giggle around my cock, which made me moan. He was watching me so intently, trying so hard to please me.

I sucked deliberately on two of my fingers, watching his reaction, knowing he knew where those two fingers were about to go. I slowly reached forward and slid them down the crease of his backside and against his entrance. He moaned and shuddered. I needed a break from his sly little tongue if I was going to last at all.

"Turn around," I commanded hoarsely. He let my cock slide out from between those pink lips, sat up and turned around, shakily presenting his ass to me. I know he thought I was going to enter him. I leaned down and began licking him. He let out a choked cry of surprise.

"Miyagi!" he shrieked, "Don't!"

"Why not?" I muttered. "Don't you like it?" I took a few more sly swipes.

"Ung," Shinobu shuddered in my grasp, torn between horrified embarrassment and debauched pleasure. My only regret was that I really couldn't see his face in this position.

"In me, now," he practically sobbed after a few more moments of my teasing. I rose to my knees and pulled him up and back. He got the idea and impaled himself on me slowly. I teased his nipples with one hand and his cock with the other as I rammed into him from behind. His voice grew ragged, high, and hoarse. I found myself rapidly losing control from his responses.

"Time to come, Shinobu," I murmured in his ear. "Come on, sweet boy, come for me." That was all it took. He stiffened and screamed. I pounded into him and came seconds after. He collapsed on the floor, panting. I waited for my vision to clear then crawled over to turn the water off. I felt totally perverted, watching proudly as my cum leaked from Shinobu's ass as he lay trembling on my bathroom floor. I got a glass of water, lifted him, and made him drink it.

"Miyagi," he sighed dreamily. I rolled my eyes, lifted him into my arms, and stepped into the bathtub. We just lay there for a bit. I couldn't get the water to cover much of my chest, but that was okay since Shinobu clung to me like a burr. A very adorable burr.

"Miyagi," Shinobu, on his stomach, pulled himself up to be eye-level with me "that was amazing." He kissed me slowly. I could feel his reviving hardness against me; it must be good to be young. It was funny how reassured he felt after sex. Like he knew I felt he was worth the risk.


	10. Chapter 10

Even though I was very close, Misaki hadn't averted his eyes yet. He didn't look angry, just . . . resolute? That was amusing. Not that I think Misaki is all talk, but . . . he's just so cute!

"Stop right there, you pervert," Misaki growled. I stopped; he did seem serious this time.

"Misaki," I crooned. He face turned even redder.

"You-you're always too fast, baka," he muttered and finally looked away.

"I have to be fast otherwise you'll run away from me," I explained patiently.

Those green eyes snapped back to mine. "When somebody comes at you like _that _I think it's normal to want to get away!" I could see his pulse beating in the side of his little throat. He was really anxious. _Of course, that's a constant state for Misaki_, I thought guiltily.

"So if I go slower it's okay?"

"Well . . . it's not just that." He winced as he said it. I sighed. How long had he been bottling things up this time?

"Let's sit down and talk about it," I said heavily. Misaki looked horrified.

"I-I didn't mean it like that, really, it's okay. I'm going to go-UWAH!" I flung him over my shoulder "BAKA, I JUST SAID-" and put him down on the couch. He blinked at me, torn between fury and confusion, as I sat down across from him.

"Tell me," I said. I started to feel worried myself, and really wanted a cigarette, but I sternly remind myself that Misaki was more important than all my insecurities.

"Ah, um, the timing is a problem," he began awkwardly.

"Oh?"

"I mean, doing it before school really stresses me out. I'm always so close to being late every time and I'm a junior now! I can't get to my freaking classes without running because _somebody _happened to feel horny that morning. I'm trying to keep my life together and it just sucks when most days start with getting my brains fucked out followed by a mad dash to the university." He paused for breath. All I could think of was that my little Misaki used the f-word. "That on top of everything else just really-"

"What do you mean everything else?"

"Like, I don't know, the fact that your dad hates my guts," he said dully.

"I told you that everything was fine," I said sharply. "Don't worry about what he thinks."

"I can't just ignore it!" he yelled, startling me. "I want to be able to handle whatever he throws at me. Remember when you said that it would be better for me to live on my own?" My stomach flipped over.

"No. No, you _can't._" I said hoarsely.

"You said," Misaki carried on determinedly, "that you were worried about what your family would tell me about you. You said you were afraid it would make me leave. I'm telling you, _everything is fine._ I know you have your own worries about . . . us, which is why I'm working hard to be someone who can stand next to you. I can't do that if you're always treating me like a kid by keeping things from me, or not taking me seriously when I say, "No, I have school in half an hour." Do you know how hard it is for me to stay awake in class after that? Or sit on those damn wooden chairs?" He was panting now and seemed finished. This was one of Misaki's more organized speeches, so he must have been thinking about it for a long time. I felt . . . bad. I still hadn't gained his trust.

"I'm sorry," I managed to say shakily.

"Usagi-san . . ." I got up to go hide in my study for a while. I couldn't let him see how his words affected me. He would feel guilty and then I —"No you don't!" Misaki startled me by leaping up and wrapping his arms around me from behind. "Now who's running away?" he grumbled with his face half-buried in my back. I couldn't help but laugh at how he'd managed to turn the tables on me, probably for the first time ever. "Baka," he muttered.

"So you . . . really don't like it in the morning?"

"It's not that I don't _like_ it," he said in a small voice, "it's just a bad time."

"What if we moved breakfast to an hour earlier?" I joked.

"No way!" He smacked my stomach for emphasis.

"Okay, okay." I turned around and ruffled his hair fondly, my mood of self-loathing long gone. Misaki pulled away and looked up at me happily.

"Well, now that that's settled, I'm going to bed," he announced and walked toward the stairs.

"Misaki, it's only seven." I made my disappointment clear in my voice. He just grinned at me smugly and climbed up the stairs. I stood there, totally dejected, till his voice floated down into the living room.

"Are you coming, or what?" _Oh. _


	11. Chapter 11

Best. Day. Ever. I glanced down at a sleeping Hiro-san for the hundredth time in the past half hour. I was too happy to sleep. He shifted in bed and groaned, but didn't wake up. I pushed his bangs out of his face and pulled the comforter up to cover his bare shoulders. I wondered if he would yell at me tomorrow. Probably. We did it three times. Three wonderful times . . . maybe if I bring him breakfast in bed he won't throw anything at me in the morning. I sighed. He was incredible today. I shook my head. I shouldn't think any more about it or I would get myself in trouble. Very easy to do with my beautiful and naked lover right there-_bad, Nowaki! Quit it!_ I needed a distraction.

I reached over Hiro-san and stole the book light from his bedside table. Then I reached under the mattress on my side . . . but my manga wasn't there. It probably slipped out and fell on the floor; we were rather . . . uninhibited today. I didn't know Hiro-san could do _that_, the human body is so—_Down, boy! Focus._ I patted the floor with my hand, but didn't find the manga there. I flipped on the book light and hung over the edge of the bed to look underneath. I frowned: nothing but a few stray socks. Did I forget to put it back? I gasped. Did Hiro-san _see _it? I felt the bed shift.

"Looking for this?"


	12. Chapter 12

The look of pure horror on Nowaki's face was hilarious as he fixed his eyes on the glossy purple manga dangling from my fingers. He opened his mouth, then shut it, then opened it, then shut it again.

"I can explain!" he blurted.

"There's nothing to explain."

"It's not what it looks like!" he said desperately.

"What does it look like, Nowaki?"

"It was a gift from a patient and I just-"

"Are you lying to me, Nowaki?" I hissed.

"Ah, well, alright, I bought it," he said heavily. "It's the only series I read though, I swear!"

"Why did you have it stashed under the mattress like porn?"

"I didn't know what you would thin since Hiro-san is a literature professor and manga is-"

"Hatori-sensei has a very good sense of humor," I interjected calmly. Nowaki blinked at me warily as realization dawned. I broke down and laughed like a madman.

"Hiro-san . . . that wasn't very nice," Nowaki whined after I calmed down.

"You should have seen your face, coward."

"Please give it back," he mumbled.

"I'm not done yet." I snatched the book light lying forgotten in one of his big hands. "Akihiko called when I was in the middle." I clipped the light to the manga cover and scooted over so that I sat hip-to-hip with my idiot lover. "Don't hide things from me," I muttered with my eyes on the page as his arm came around me automatically, "or I'll be forced to punish you," I added for good measure. Nowaki chuckled.

"Promise, Hiro-san?"

The End!

AN: Thank you for reading and for the generous reviews! I'm going to start putting up a fic for the Finder series soon, in case you're interested.


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